CHARLIE Sheen's former sit-com Two and a Half Men returned to CBS last night with with Ashton Kutcher in the lead role – and scored astronomical ratings.

Kutcher's first appearance on the sitcom was watched by 27.8m Americans.

Two and a Half Men's ninth season premiere pulled in around double the average achieved by Charlie Sheen's episodes in season eight.

Sheen, who was fired in March, previously predicted that the show would not survive without him at the helm.

However the figures suggest otherwise, and Sheen wrote on Twitter that he had tuned-in saying: "Surrounded by friends and watching the premier of Two and a Half Men. Odd... But cool..! So far a lot of laughs!!"